Nikola Jokic is one of the biggest stars in the NBA right now. The Denver Nuggets landed a true gem with him in the second round ofthe Draft, and the scariest part is that he just keeps getting better and better.
Jokic showed p to this season in the best shape of his career. He’s no longer chubby and it clearly shows late in games when he’s still fresh, and even though he’s not exactly fast or athletic, he makes up for it with an unprecedented basketball IQ for a big man.
Nonetheless, some people still thought that he wasn’t an elite big because he wasn’t much of a scorer. Needless to say, that narrative has been shut down now that he’s averaging a career-high 25.0 points per game on 57% shooting.
Mike Malone Says He Locked And Beat Nikola Jokic To Force Him To Score More Points
So, when asked about how he motivated him to be a more aggressive scorer and shooter, Nuggets coach Mike Malone had a hilarious and sarcastic response that could make Gregg Popovich really proud:
“I locked him in my office one day and I beat him with a pillowcase full of soda cans,” the coach joked.
Michael Malone, very, very sarcastically, on how he motivates Nikola Jokic to score.
“I locked him in my office one day and I beat him with a pillowcase full of soda cans..”
— Mike Singer (@msinger) January 20, 2021
Whatever coach Malone is doing to uplift Jokic and make him a scorer it’s definitely working. The Denver Nuggets have struggled to start the season after being one of the most consistent and promising teams last year, and they clearly need their Serbian star at their best.
Nikola’s scoring numbers are likely to take a dip once Michael Porter Jr is finally cleared to return to the team and when Jamal Murray’s shot starts falling again, but he’s proving that he’s determined to carry the load and do whatever it takes to lead them back to the playoffs.
